Giampaolo Folena

Theoretical physicist studying disordered systems, glassy dynamics, jamming, and algorithmic models of evolving matter.

Research Interests

  • Mean-field disordered models
  • Out-of-equilibrium dynamics
  • Monte Carlo simulations
  • Jamming transitions
  • Evolutionary systems
  • Artificial chemistry

Academic Career

  • 2025-present: Thermodynamics of the origin of life IFISC, Universitat de les Illes Balears

  • 2024-2025: Hard-sphere compression and instantons in complex landscapes Sapienza Università di Roma

  • 2023-2024: Closure and open-endedness in evolution Université Paul Sabatier

  • 2022-2023: Caging and jamming in simple glasses, with Patrick Charbonneau Duke University

  • 2020-2022: Fluctuations in mean-field models, with Francesco Zamponi École Normale Supérieure de Paris

  • 2016-2020: Out-of-equilibrium dynamics in mean-field models Sapienza Università di Roma / LPTMS, Université Paris-Saclay PhD supervised by Silvio Franz and Federico Ricci-Tersenghi

Network of Precarious Researchers

I am part of the Network of Precarious Researchers, an organization working to connect researchers and address precarity in academic work.

Visit NPR NePeRo